Comprehensive Review of Phytotherapeutic Methods for Treating tuberculosis

Medicinal plants are a rich source of therapeutic agents. Tuberculosis (TB) is a highly infectious disease causing significant morbidity and mortality, primarily due to its causative agent, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The incidence of TB is rising globally, exacerbated by the emergence of drug-resistant strains. Resistance has developed against first-line and second-line drugs, compli-cating TB control programmes and diminishing their effectiveness. The development of Multi-Drug-Resistant (MDR) and extensively-Drug-Resistant (XDR) strains of Mycobacterium tubercu-losis highlights the urgent need for novel anti-TB drugs with unique mechanisms of action. Medic-inal plants present promising alternative sources for TB treatment, especially for MDR and XDR strains. These plants produce various secondary metabolites, such as alkaloids, coumarins, flavo-noids, polyphenols, terpenoids, and quinones, which exhibit antimicrobial properties. These com-pounds, while not directly involved in the plant's growth and development, serve as defence mech-anisms and hold potential for TB control. According to the literature, phytochemical constituents with anti-tubercular activity have been identified in various plants. These phytochemicals show promise in treating MDR and XDR TB. This review provides an overview of the current synthetic drugs used for TB treatment and highlights the work done on anti-tubercular plants and their phyto-chemicals.